Diplomatic Protection Group
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The Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG or CO6, from its Central Operations designation) is a branch of the London Metropolitan Police Service Its main purpose is to provide protection for foreign missions in London, such as embassies, high commissions, consular sections and official residencies in accordance with Article 22 of the Vienna Convention 1961. Also to provide protection and support to members of the Diplomatic Community and members of HM Government. The DPG provides protection at 10 Downing Street. It was formerly known as SO16, when it was part of the Specialist Operations (SO) section of the Metropolitan Police.
CO6 also provides general firearms backup for the Met Police generally. DPG consists of officers who are highly trained, motivated and experienced in all aspects of armed policing operations. It exists so that the vast majority of policing activities throughout London can be conducted in the traditional manner by unarmed officers, but obviously the high risk to the residencies or VIP's they guard means that the arming of officers must be a normal protocol.
The Diplomatic Protection Group originated as A11. This was created in 1974 to replace Special Patrol Group, officers who were assigned to guard diplomatic and consular missions in London. It became a permanent unit in 1980, and joined the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Group in 1983. It remains operationally separate, and responsibilities include protecting diplomatic premises and personnel, and protecting visiting Heads of State and high-risk VIPs when they are staying in hotels or other premises. Police are armed and uniformed, and provide static policing, fixed posts, mobile cars, solo motorcycles, and personnel carriers. Protection is also provided for certain political figures, and support for security at the Palace of Westminster. In 2003 it manned 40 fixed posts and guarded 199 diplomatic missions. DPG is the biggest armed unit in the United Kingdom with over 800 armed police officers.
The DPG Diplomatic Protection Group,is commanded by Chief Superintendent Christine Jones.
Those currently under protection by the DPG (list not exhaustive) include:-
The Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, the Foreign Secretary, the Defence Secretary, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Downing Street's Chief of Staff, Former British Prime Ministers: Baroness Thatcher, Sir John Major, Tony Blair; Opposition Leader: The Rt Hon.David Cameron MP (for specific events), Thames House MI5, and most foreign embassies in London.
CO6 officers are trained on all conventional police sanctioned firearms, including the Glock 17 which is a Pistol, Heckler & Koch MP5 Semi-Automatic Carbine, as well as the 'less-lethal' Taser. Officers are tasked to provide fixed post overt armed protection as well as crewing armed response vehicles complimenting their colleagues in CO19 in the provision of an armed response capability for the majority of London officers that conduct their duties without firearms.
[edit] The future
In 2005 the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair QPM, announced that Specialist Operations units were to be re-aligned. The plans included forming 3 new departments within Specialist Operations to carry out specific functions:
- Protecting People, (Splitting the functions of both SO14 & SO16 and merging them with parts of SO17, SO18 and SO12)
- Protecting Places, (Splitting the functions of both SO14 & SO16 and merging them with parts of SO17 and SO18)
- Counter Terrorism Command (Merging SO12 & SO13 together)
